Counting the Cost!

"COUNTING THE COST!"

LUKE 14:28-30

INTRO: Everything in this life costs something. Nothing is free! Even if the

thing we pursue doesn't cost us monetarily, it still will cost us our

time, our effort, and our attention. The same holds true in the

spiritual realm. Salvation is free! The SCRIPTURE says in Ephesians

2:8-9—“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of

yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should

boast." But being a Christian will cost us! We will have to make

sacrifices if we are going to live godly Christian lives! We will have to

"COUNT THE COST!"

Not being a Christian will cost a man as well! Romans 6:23 says—

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through

Jesus Christ our Lord." The Greek word that in English is translated

"wages" means "payment." All of us are familiar with payments. We

work 40 hours, we receive a payment. We perform a task or service

and we receive a payment. The payment we receive is determined by

the cost or value of the services or work we perform. We, in turn, take

the payment we receive and spend it on the things we need or desire

which cost a certain amount. But before we start outlaying our

money, we must count the cost. Is the cost worth the price? The

same is true of non-monetary things. Is the project or venture worth

my time, effort, and abilities?

In our text, Jesus related a parable to great multitudes gathered

around Him. He asked, "For which of you, intending to build a tower,

sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient

to finish it?" There are costs to being a Christian. There are also costs

to not being a Christian. I want to title the message, "COUNTING THE

COST!" I want us to explore the cost of being a Christian and the cost

of not being a Christian. We must "COUNT THE COST!"

(1) THE COST OF BEING A CHRISTIAN

LUKE 14:28—“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not

down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to

finish it?”

A. THE QUESTION. Jesus asked a very probing question here—“For which of

you…sitteth not down first…and counteth the cost…?” In every area of life

we have to consider the cost of our decision and price of our choices.

Salvation is free but service costs. It is costly! There are sacrifices to be

made! Prices to be paid! The question is “are we willing to pay the price?

Do we want to have nominal Christian lives or phenomenal Christian lives?”

Someone said, "If Jesus be God and died for me, then no Sacrifice can be

too great for me to make for Him"—C.T. Studd (1).

B. THE QUALIFICATION. Friends, if we are going to be the Christians God

has called us to be, those who are “blameless and harmless, the sons of

God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among

whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life…”

(Philippians 2:15-16a), WE MUST COUNT ON:

· GIVING UP A LIFE OF SIN (Titus. 2:13-14; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

· SURRENDERING OUR WILL TO HIM. The attitude of our soul MUST BE,"Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" We will have to "COUNT THE COST," what will it cost me to put Christ FIRST in everything? We MUST ALLOW God "which worketh in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). "When you follow Christ it must be a total burning of all your bridges behind you"--Billy Graham (2). (Philippians 1:21; 3:7-8). The old Hymn says, "All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live...". (Romans 12:1).

· SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD. We MUST "bear our cross and go after Him"(v27) (Hebrews 13:13-14). We are in this world but not of this world! and should not love the world (1 John 2:15-17). Neither should we be conformed to this world! (Romans 12:2).

· OPPOSITION FROM THE WORLD (John 15:18-20). In John 16:33 Jesus said—“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

· TEMPTATION FROM THE DEVIL. Friends, from time to time all of us will be tempted! (1 Peter 4:12-14). Even our Lord was tempted. Temptation is not sin. But yielding to temptation is! We MUST rely on the power of God (Ephesians 6:10-11)! For He is able to strengthen us in our temptations! And He knows what we can bear! Hebrews 2:18 tells us—“For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” In 2 Peter 2:9 we read—“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.” And in 1 Corinthians 10:13 the Bible promises—“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

· SELF-DENIAL (Luke 9:23). The Christian life is a life of faith in the Son of God, so it must also be a life of self-denial! (John 3:30). Someone said, "You deny Christ when you fail to deny yourself for Christ" (3).

(2) THE COST OF NOT BEING A CHRISTIAN

LUKE 14:28b—“…counteth the cost..”

A. THE LOSS EXAMINED. The "business" of a Christ-less life is an awfully

expensive one! The lost shall suffer loss. What a LOSS! Jesus said in

Mark 8:36-37—“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole

world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his

soul?” It is quite possible for a man in one sense to make a huge success of

life and in another sense to be living a life that is not worth living. The real

question Jesus asks is, "Where do you put your values in life?" It is possible

for a man to put his values on the wrong things and to discover it too late.

Reserved Worldwide). Bob Jones, Sr. said, "The greatest thought that ever

occurred to me is that I must live somewhere forever.

B. THE LOSS EVALUATED. Friends, there is a GREAT cost of not being a

Christian. Think of the loss of:

· THE FORGIVING LOVE OF GOD THE FATHER (John 3:16). God loves the world, but to be saved; a man MUST believe in Him and accept Him as his Saviour! (John 3:18). God desires to save and forgive ALL PEOPLE, (2 Peter 3:9). But, will only forgive them that come to Him! (Isaiah 1:18). It is not that God is unwilling to forgive, but that He can't forgive because they won't come to Him! In John 5:40 Jesus said—“And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

· THE SAVING POWER OF THE SON OF GOD. Jesus declared in Mark 2:10 after healing the sick of the palsy—“...That ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins". In Hebrews 7:25 we read—“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them". And in Jude 24 we are promises—“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy". Jesus came "to seek and to save that which was lost" (John 19:10; Ephesian. 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:15). Christ came to save ALL people, but salvation is only possible to them that receive Him! (John 1:12).

· THE COMFORTING PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (John 3:5-6; 14:16-17 ,26).

· THE ASSURING PROMISES OF HIS HOLY WORD (2 Peter 1:2-4). The assuring promises of God's Word belong to those who have assurance in God! "For the believer, there is no question; for the non-believer, there is no answer" (4). God’s Word had the answer (Psalm 19:7-11).

· THE JOY OF SERVICE IN HIS PREVAILING NAME (Acts 1:8). The lost cannot serve the Lord with gladness for God's power doesn't rest on them! Since it is God which "worketh in us," the lost without God, cannot offer acceptable service! We read in Galatians 5:22-23a—“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance...”. Unless we possess the Spirit of God, we can't show forth the fruit of the Spirit!

· THE BLESSED HOPE OF SEEING HIM, AND BEING LIKE HIM. In Titus 2:13-14 we are given the believer's hope—“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Paul wrote in Philippians 3:20-21—“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” And in 1 John 3:2-3 we read—“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” But friends, the lost person has NO HOPE! Job 8:11-14 tells us—“Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water? Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish: Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.” Though a man gain all the world's wealth and have not christ, he is the poorest man of all, Though a man gain all knowledge possible and have not Christ, God calls him a fool! Though a man make himself known to all and have not Christ, God says, "I know you not!" The ONLY HOPE of seeing Him and being like Him is to receive Him as Saviour! (John 6:40; Isaiah 45:22).

· THE GLORIES AND REWARDS OF HIS EVERLASTING KINGDOM AND PRESENCE. Jesus encouraged in Luke 12:32—"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. " The kingdom is for God's people! We shall be with Christ and He shall be with us! (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; John 14:1-3). As believers in Christ we shall stand before God at His coming and our works shall either be rewarded or burned! But the lost shall be forever separated from God! (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 20:10-15).

OH, lost friend, "COUNT THE COST" of not becoming a Christian! Can you afford it? What means more to you than Christ? What did it cost the prodigal to come? His rags and His wretchedness! That's all! Just as he was! That's how you must come!

CLOSING: Child of God, Are you whole-heartedly sold-out for Christ? Are you

worthy of the name Christian? The SCRIPTURE exhort us to, "walk

worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory." (1

Thessalonians 2:12).

Lost friend, Can you afford not to become a Christian? What is

more important than your soul? COUNT THE COST!

NOTES: 1. Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary &

Classical. P. 179.

2. IBID. P. 195.

3. Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary &

Classical. P. 179.

4. IBID. Pg. 69.

PREPARED BY BROTHER BRYAN L. BROWNING AND PREACHED AT LANDMARK BAPTIST CHURCH, CORNING, ARKANSAS, JANUARY 23, 1994 AND CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH, TRUMANN, ARKANSAS, JUNE 26, 1994.